Worries

Opening Question: When was the last time you felt your
could do something difficult?

First Reading: Jeremiah 20:10-13

Jack knew lots of people, but had just a few close friends. To the
people he knew, Jack was friendly and out-going, while his friends
knew Jack as loyal. Everyone liked Jack, and Jack liked everyone he
met. But, the one thing people admired in Jack was his honesty. When
people dealt with Jack, they knew he told them the truth.

But slowly the rumors began to fly about Jack, in the same way people
talked about Jeremiah.

(Read “Jeremiah said to God, I.”)

I heard the crowds whisper, “Everyone is afraid. Now’s
our chance to accuse Jeremiah!” All of my so-called friends are just
waiting for me to make a mistake. They say, “Maybe Jeremiah can be
tricked. Then we can overpower him and get even at last.”

“Why don’t people like me?” Jack though to himself. “Why do they talk
like that about me?” Jack must have felt like Jeremiah, very, very
alone. Could anyone help Jack? “Yes!” Jack thought to himself. “God
will understand me. I’ll talk to him!”

(Read “Jeremiah said to God, II.”)

But you, Lord,
are a mighty soldier,
standing at my side.
Those troublemakers
will fall down and fail—
terribly embarrassed,
forever ashamed.

Lord All-Powerful,
you test those who do right,
and you know every heart
and mind.
I have told you my complaints,
so let me watch you
take revenge on my enemies.
I sing praises to you, Lord.
You rescue the oppressed
from the wicked.

We all like to have people like us. But the difference between
someone you know and a real friend is three simple words: “I believe
in you!” God tells us these three words all the time!

Has any one said or acted like they believed in you and what you
could do? How did you feel? Have you ever said “I believe in you” to
someone else?

Bridging Question: What do people worry about? In school? At home? On
a sports team?

Gospel: Matthew 10:26-33

Reader 1:

Jesus told the followers he sent out to serve the people:

Don’t be afraid of others! For everything you try to
cover up will be uncovered. And all your secrets will be known. What I
told you in the dark, tell everyone in the light. What you heard me
whisper in your ear, shout to everyone from the top of your house.
Don’t be afraid of people who kill you. They kill your body, not your
spirit. But be more afraid of God, the one who can destroy your body
and spirit in hell.

Reader 2:

Can’t you buy two sparrows for a penny? Yet, one of them
will not fall to the ground unless your Father wishes it. But, all the
hairs on your heads been counted by your Father. So, don’t be afraid.
You’re worth so much more than a lot of sparrows!

Reader 3:

I will tell my Father in heaven about anyone who says to
other people, “I belong to Jesus.” But, in front of my Father in
heaven, I will reject anyone who says to others, “I reject Jesus.”

Before her soccer games, Crystal always worried. As goalie, she
wondered if she could really defend her team’s net. And she worried
about disappointing her teammates, family, and friends. To make
matters worse, she never talked about her concerns to anyone. Her
family and friends just noticed Crystal got really quiet and intense
before the games.

In the first game of the new season, Crystal stood quietly as play
began. The game seemed to go back and forth on the mid-field.
Suddenly, two of the forwards on the other side made a break away and
ran toward Crystal. One player passed the ball to the other at the
last moment. The ball was kicked and Crystal dove to catch. The ball
rolled off her fingertips. “Goal” yelled one of the forwards.
Crystal’s heart fell. She just knew everyone would hate her. Even on
the ground, she felt even more tense.

Crystal’s teammates screamed. “Get ready!” one of her teammates said
to her. Crystal tried to shake off her down feeling and get back into
the game.

Back and forth went the game. Crystal’s team got two more shots on
goal. Both missed. Crystal caught the only shot on her goal, but it
rolled easily toward her. Then the referee blew the whistle for
halftime.

When Crystal got back her bench, the coach beamed, “Ladies, you’re
doing great!”

“Not me,” Crystal thought to herself.

“Don’t you know who you’re playing?” the coach asked. “That team
advanced to the county championships! Keep fighting!” The coach then
discussed strategy and individual players. Finally, the coach turned
to Crystal. “You defended that first goal well, Crystal.”

“But the ball went into the goal,” she replied to the coach.

“Really, Crystal, I’ve never seen you try so hard. Nobody could have
defended that goal as well as you did,” the coach raved.

Crystal could feel herself relax a little. “If that was good, I can
do better,” Crystal thought. And she did. Four blocked shots on goal.
The more intense the game got toward the end, the more confident she
felt. When the referee whistled the end of the game and the score was
tied 0-0, other players on the team may have felt a little down, but
not Crystal. She walked off the field feeling great. She defended
against one of the best teams she would face that year. And she caught
all they could throw at her. All because someone told her “Don’t
worry. I believe in you.”

Jesus told his followers the same thing. “Don’t worry. I believe in
you. And so does my Father.” Nothing anyone could do to them could
change what Jesus said to them. People could even kill the followers
of Jesus, and it wouldn’t matter. The Father cared for them and Jesus
would defend them before the Father.

Jesus says the same thing to you that he said to his followers.
“Don’t worry. I believe in you!”

Closing Question: How can you help others believe that
Jesus trusts them?

Twelfth Sunday

in Ordinary Time

Cycle A

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